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For such a stinker of a game (no surprise there, really, except that the Browns really are that bad).  I feel for my Cleveland kin, whose voices I hear in the back of my head lamenting another poor performance by a Cleveland sports team.  But, a standout performance by Mike, Jaws, and John.  I rarely even acknowledge the presence of announcers not named Madden or Costas or Thorne, but in this case I believe a trophy should be awarded for a ‘clutch’ performance.  In the face of unrelenting horribleness, they made the second half of that game immensely entertaining with their unvarnished opinions, discussion of SNF, back and for between Jaws and John, retro highlight reels, and above all highlighting the fact that a quarterback is having a terrible night when he can’t hit the football field with a throw.  Hats off to you guys, great job!  And keep it up John, work on your polish and you may be the replacement for Madden that we are all hoping and waiting for.  My favorite (paraphrased) quote of the night:

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So how did everyone else like the debut of Jerryworld? I was impressed with the stadium and the quality of the game. I bet the ratings will be the highest for a regular season game in years. And 105 thousand people may signal a new era of expansion in the NFL. Now if we can just get rid of the stupid “coaches calling timeouts” rules along with instant replay, we will really be making progress!

I watch NBC’s The Office.  It’s the only show on TV that has captured my interest since I stopped watching Frasier, Friends, and Seinfeld.  The writers and actors often strike soft emotional spots that I really resonate to, and the style of humor has grown on me throughout the five seasons.  I was struck with an epiphany after the latest episode, and it is (I am happy to say) the second time the series has given one to me.

I realized that the importance of entertainment, in all its forms, is in giving us as viewer participants the emotional experience.  It isn’t in the situations, or the players, or the dramatic obstacle that the true meaning of entertainment hits home.  Sure, a piece of fiction can be written to advocate an idea (such as Atlas Shrugged, et al.) and be a valuable addition to life’s experience.  But, the emotion attached to watching Jim and Pam reaffirm their love, or Micheal’s true worth as a boss, or Andy’s pent up feelings of loss and hopelessness finally being released, are true gifts, because I can share and experience the feelings so deeply.   I may choose to take away lessons like, “The small guy will triumph over the big guy” or “Stay in [art] school”, or the hundreds of themes that permeate creative works, and that is a conscious choice I make.  But whether something is entertaining to me is based on the emotional outlet, not the logical choice.  That brings me to the answer of the question, “What’s it all worth, Joe?”

Its worth remembering that you can feel all of those emotions every moment of your life, and that is what makes life worth living.  Its not about the entertainment at all.  Not the book, the movie, the TV series, not the cast or crew, or the time of day or the outcome of the big game.  And regardless of your emotional, physical, mental, or financial state, I can always encourage you to look to the Steelers and Cardinals, John and Jenna, Steve Carell, the Phantom, or any of your favorite entertainers or entertainment.  And that entertainment will cause you to reaffirm that you get up every day and embrace, experience, and deal with those same feelings and emotions, good, bad, and strange.  And that is valuable and wonderful because emotions tie us all together in ways philisophy, government, symbols, and knowledge cannot.